Abdominal Flashcards
Describe visceral pain vs. parietal pain
Visceral: organ stretching, not localized
Parietal: Inflammation in the parietal peritoneum, LOCALIZED, aggravated by movement or coughing
What is referred pain? Where does
1) duodenal and pancreatic pain refer to?
2) biliary tree refer to?
Originates within the abdomen but is felt at distant
sites which are innervated at approximately the same spinal levels as the disordered structure
1) back
2) Right shoulder
What are the most important components of oldcarts for an abdominal exam?
LOCATION
Aggravating/Alleviating factors
Focused ROS you should probably ask about?
• GI: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, black stools, blood in
the stool, blood in the vomit
• GU: dysuria, polyuria, hematuria, flank or CVA pain
GYN: vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, LMP, possibility of pregnancy
What other parts of the history are important?
Past surgical history
Current medicines: blood thinners, Narcotics, GI prescriptions, social history (esp. weed), family history
What is the order of the physical abdominal exam?
- Inspection 2. Auscultation 3. Percussion 4. Palpation
What is in the RUQ
Liver, gallbladder, stomach, SB, LB
What is in the RLQ
Appendix, ovary, SB, LB
What is in the LUQ
Stomach, Spleen,, SB, LB
What is in the LLQ
Colon, ovary, SB, LB
What is in the epigastric area?
Pancreas, Liver, gallbladder, stomach, SB, LB
What are you listening for with bowel sounds? What is abnormal?
bell to listen for bruits, 5-34 ‘clicks’/minute
absent sounds (non for 2 minutes): Long-lasting intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, mesenteric
ischemia
decreased sounds (none for 1 minute) Post-surgical ileus, peritonitis
increased sounds: Diarrhea, early bowel obstruction
What are high pitched bowel sounds indicative of?
sounds like tinkling (raindrops on metal)
early intestinal obstruction
What does percussion sound like in an abdominal exam? What is an abnormal sound?
Tympany predominates: gas in the GI tract, scattered areas of dullness is normal from fluid and feces
Abnormal: Large dull areas from a mass or enlarged organ OR Protuberant abdomen typanitic throughout may indicate an intestinal obstruction
Describe the organ assessment of the liver? What does it increase vertically? what does it decrease vertically?
– Right midclavicular line, start in RLQ (area of tympany) and percuss cephalad to an area
of dullness= lower border of liver – Right midclavicular line, start in RUQ (area of lung resonance) and percuss caudad toward liver dullness = superior border of liver
– Normal liver vertical span= 6-12 cm
– Vertical span increased with: • Enlarged liver= cirrhosis, lymphoma, hepatitis, right-sided heart failure, amyloidosis, hemachromatosis, Right pleural effusion (falsely increased)
– Vertical span decreased with:
• Shrunken liver = cirrhosis
Describe the organ assessment of the spleen? What does dullness indicate?
– Starting from border of cardiac border of left anterior axillary line, percuss laterally
– If tympany is prominent laterally in midaxillary line, splenomegaly not likely
– Dullness at midaxillary line= splenomegaly